Scholars highlight a powerful wordplay in the original Hebrew. The city's name, Mareshah, sounds like the word for "inheritance." Micah declares that because of their sin, God will send a new "heir" or "possessor"—the invading Assyrian army—to take over their land. This serves as a sober reminder that when God's people turn from Him, they risk being "possessed" by worldly powers and hostile forces, losing the inheritance God intended for them.